1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing reels, and more particularly to a hydraulic drag fly reel for preventing backlash and adjusting drag automatically in the fishing line when reeling a hooked fish.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional fishing reels employ mechanical elements, such as friction plates and speed regulating brakes, pressed against a drag gear or other rotating element to import drag resistance on the spool as a hooked fish runs the line out. The purpose of the drag mechanism is to tire the fish and prevent backlash in the fishing line, a common problem known in fly fishing and one that causes the line to tangle and/or break. A background reel employing a conventional friction plate for drag is shown in FIG. 1. With reference to FIG. 1, the background reel 1 includes a frame 2, a spool 3, a back plate 4, a friction plate 5, and a drag adjustment knob 6. The adjustment 6 is included for manually increasing or decreasing the drag force to assist in fighting and wearing down the fish. Several problems exist with this reel and other background reels. For instance, background drag reels require frequent manual adjustment to maintain proper drag. They cannot be accurately and conveniently adjusted to accommodate the wide range of resistance levels required in playing the hooked fish. Parts used in conventional drag systems experience wear and tear, necessitating frequent replacement. Moreover, background braking devices are incapable of automatically providing adjustable resistance in direct relation to the speed of the hooked fish.
Some of the reels noted in the background art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,462,974 and 2,462,975 issued to King, U.S. Pat. No. 2,813,601 issued to Bourgues, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,255,981 and 3,329,373 issued to Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,369 issued to Haenelt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,512 issued to Nepote, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,493 issued to Anderson. King, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,813,601, discloses a fishing reel having a hydraulic drive on both sides of the spool to provide a balanced reel. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,975, King discloses a modified gear box and clutch connection between the driver impeller shaft and the reel spool. Bourgues, U.S. Pat. No. 2,813,601, discloses a speed regulating brake comprising a torque transmitting device, a brake for controlling torque, means for adapting the rotation speed of the shaft to the power absorbed by the brake, and a pump in fluid communication with an incompressible fluid. Wood, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,329,373 and 3,255,981, discloses a fishing reel and brake system comprising a hydraulic system having a pump actuated in response to rotation of the spool. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,369, Haenelt discloses a hydraulically actuated tension control for fishing reels comprising a hydraulic actuating means for selectively controlling the interrelated clutching and braking action of the spool to prevent backlash during casting and to maintain line tension, wherein the hydraulic action includes an actuating plunger, master cylinder, slave cylinder, and piston. Nepote, U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,512, discloses a hydraulic brake for fishing reels comprising a manually operable lever associated with a piston in a first hydraulic cylinder through which fluid forces are applied to a second piston operating friction plates bearing upon the reel spool. Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,493, discloses a hydraulic device for fishing reels comprising a drive hydraulic pump having a drive pump member driven by a manually rotatable handle and a driven hydraulic pump having a drive pump member connected to a winding means for causing the fishing line to be wound upon a spool carried by the frame of a fishing reel. Each of the foregoing devices contemplates either the undesirable friction plate drag device or some type of hydraulic reel, including an actuated pump for controlling different aspects of the reel. The hydraulic pump systems taught are either not designed for causing drag in the line or are complicated in construction and have problems with leakage, pump failure, and slow response time, such that backlash still occurs. As none of these references address the concerns noted above, there remains a need for a fly reel having a hydraulic drag system that is simple in construction and reliable in providing drag resistance, proportionately adjustable to the force of the fish. The instant invention provides such an automatic braking system and addresses the noted problems in the art.